Koh campaign considering options as recount deadline looms

Rob Carter

Thursday

Sep 6, 2018 at 12:16 PMSep 6, 2018 at 3:52 PM

With only 52 votes separating Lori Trahan and Dan Koh in the Democratic primary election for the Massachusetts 3rd Congressional election, Koh’s campaign now has two days remaining to petition for a recount.

Debra O’Malley, spokeswoman for the Secretary of State's office, said that Koh had not filed his petition yet, and would need to do so by 5 p.m. Friday to trigger a recount.

According to state law, petitioners can request a district-wide recount of any election determined by less than half a percent of the total vote if they collect 500 signatures.

When asked for comment, Koh’s communications director Justin Curtis referred back to a statement released by the campaign on Wednesday, which says the campaign “will be reviewing the process for a recount to ensure everyone who voted is properly counted.”

“Dan Koh is committed to making sure all ballots are counted,” the release states. “Secretary of State Galvin has already responsibly impounded the votes in the third district to ensure the accuracy of the results.”

Trahan, meanwhile, declared victory on Wednesday morning once the vote totals were announced.

“Now that 100 percent of the votes have been counted, I’m confident that I am the Democratic nominee,” Trahan said at the UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center. “This race proves what we knew all along - that every vote truly counts”

Despite Trahan's declaration, the campaign said it is preparing for the potential recount and are confident it would return the same outcome.

"We are collecting signatures to preserve and protect our rights should a recount be requested," Gretchen Grosky, Trahan's communication director, said Thursday. "We are confident that once the numbers are certified by the Secretary of State's office that they will continue to show that Lori is the Democratic nominee for Congress."

John Cluverius, University of Massachusetts Lowell assistant professor of political science and Center for Public Opinion fellow, said he believes both campaigns are positioning themselves well given their circumstances.

“There’s not a lot of downside for either candidate in Trahan declaring victory or in Koh requesting a recount,” Cluverius said.

Cluverius said that Trahan’s stance helps “create the narrative that she is the victor.”

Comparing it to the 2004 presidential election in which George W. Bush declared victory ahead of a recount, Cluverius said that historically this tactic is useful in winning public approval.

“What makes people unhappy with the democratic process is when the outcome is unclear,” Cluverius said.

Requesting a recount in Koh’s case also makes sense according to Cluverius.

“He’s been campaigning for more than a year. He’s raised a lot of money. No one is going to fault him for requesting a recount,” Cluverius said.

While the odds of a recount yielding a different result were slim, Cluveris said it was worth the time to double check when the margin is as narrow as Trahan’s lead over Koh.

Should a Galvin call for a recount, the campaigns are given three days notice before procedures begin. Campaigns are allowed to have representatives present to observe each of the officials participating in the recount.

Koh’s campaign said that at the end of the process if the results stand and Trahan was declared the winner, “Dan will offer his enthusiastic support for her in the general election.”